Upper-Intermediate - Capital Punishment A:
(D0496)
现在有些人胆子真大，为了一点小事就去抢 劫、杀人。还好我们有死刑。 ` ai ` yˇouxie¯ ren ´ danzi ˇ ` weile ` y¯ıdian ˇ xiaosh` ˇ ¯ da, Xianz zhen ı jiu` ˇ ´ shar ´ Haih ´ ao ˇ women ˇ ¯ en. qu` qiangji e, yˇou sˇıx´ıng. Nowadays, some people have a lot of nerve. Over some trifle they will commit robbery or murder. Good thing we have the death penalty.
B:
你怎么能这么说？死刑多么残酷！这种古老的 刑罚，一点也不适合现在的社会，早该被废除 了。其实大多数发达国家都在某种程度上废除 了死刑，中国也该这样。 ´ zheme ` ´ u! ` ¯ Sˇıx´ıng duome ¯ Nˇı zˇenme neng shuo? cank ` Zheˇ gul ˇ de x´ıngf´a, y¯ıdian ˇ yˇe b`u sh`ıhe´ xianz ` ai ` de she` zhong ˇ ao ˇ gai ` f`eichu´ le. Q´ısh´ı dadu ` osh ´ oji ´ a¯ dou ¯ bei ¯ u` f¯adagu ¯ hu`ı, zao ` mouzh ˇ ˇ chengd ´ ` f`eichu´ le sˇıx´ıng, Zhonggu ¯ zai ong u` shang o´ ` ang. ¯ zhey` yˇe gai How can you say such a thing? The death penalty is so brutal. This kind of archaic punishment doesn’t fit in at all with society today. It should have been abolished a long time ago. Actually, the vast majority of developed countries have to some extent abolished capital punishment– China should too.
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2007 Praxis Language Ltd.
A:
荒唐！美国、日本还不保留着死刑？没有死 刑，那些杀人放火的坏人就更无法无天了。 到时候社会还有什么安定？老百姓还怎么过日 子？ ˇ o, ´ R`ıben ˇ hai ´ b`u baoli ˇ u´ zhe sˇıx´ıng? ¯ Huangtang! Meigu ´ ou sˇıx´ıng, naxi ` e¯ shar ´ f`anghuoˇ de huair ` en ´ jiu` geng ` ¯ en Meiyˇ ` sh´ıhou shehu` ` ı hai ´ yˇou shenme ´ ¯ le. Dao ¯ wufˇ an´ awuti ´ an ˇ aix` ˇ ıng hai ´ zˇenme guo` r`ızi? d`ıng? Laob That’s absurd. The United States and Japan still have capital punishment, don’t they? Without the death penalty, those evildoers committing murder and arson would be even more lawless. When that happens what stability will there be in society? How will the average citizen be able to live?
B:
话也不能这么说。我看过好多研究统计，都说 死刑与犯罪的升降并不具有必然的关系。好多 人犯罪是迫不得已，再说碰到冤案怎么办？白 白死一个无辜的人？ ´ zheme ` ` guo hao ˇ duo¯ y´anjiu¯ ¯ Wˇo kan Hua` yˇe b`uneng shuo. ˇ ı, dou ` ¯ shuo¯ sˇıx´ıng yuˇ f`anzu`ı de shengji ¯ tongj` ang b`ıngb`u ´ de guanxi. ˇ duo¯ ren ´ f`anzu`ı sh`ı pob` ` ude´ ¯ juyˇ Hao ` ou b`ıran ` ` ` yuan’ ` zˇenme ban? ` ´ ai ´ sˇı y¯ı ge ¯ an yˇı, zaishu o¯ pengd ao Baib ´ wug ´ u¯ de ren?
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2007 Praxis Language Ltd.
You can’t say that. I’ve seen a lot of research statistics, and they all say that the death penalty isn’t necessarily related to the crime rate. A lot of people commit crimes because they are compelled to. Furthermore, what about when you run into a mistaken conviction? Kill an innocent person for nothing?
A:
你懂什么？惩罚特别严重的犯罪，死刑是无法 替代的。对于那些特别严重的犯罪行为，冷血 杀手不受到法律的惩罚，这公平吗？ ˇ ´ ´ a tebi ` e´ y´anzhong ` Nˇı dong shenme? Chengf´ de f`anzu`ı, ` de. Du`ıyu´ naxi ` e¯ tebi ` e´ y´anzhong ` sˇıx´ıng sh`ı wufˇ ´ a t`ıdai ´ lengxi ˇ ˇ b`u shoud ` ao ` fˇalu`¨ de ¯ ou de f`anzu`ı x´ıngwei, eˇ shash ´ a, zhe` gongp´ ¯ chengf´ ıng ma? What do you know? For offenses with especially serious penalties, the death penalty is irreplaceable. With regard to those especially grave crimes, if cold-blooded killers don’t receive the punishment of the law, is that just?
B:
我们不能用这种报复的观念去看问题。所有的 生命都是宝贵的，死刑违反人道主义原则。 ´ ` ong ˇ ` u` de guanni ` qu` ¯ an Wˇomen b`uneng y`ong zhezh baof ` went´ ` ı. Suoyˇ ˇ ou de shengm` ˇ ¯ ¯ sh`ı baogu` kan ıng dou ı de, sˇı´ an rend ´ aozh ` ´ e. x´ıng weifˇ uy` ˇ ı yuanz´ We can’t look at this problem using that kind of a concept of retaliation. All life is precious–the death penalty violates the principles of humanitarianism.
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2007 Praxis Language Ltd.
A:
你这是自相矛盾。被害人的生命也是宝贵的， 凭什么被杀呢？再说了，中国这几年已经控制 和减少死刑了，也改革了死刑的执行。这些还 不够尊重生命？ ´ un. ` air ` en ´ de shengm` ¯ ¯ Nˇı zhe` sh`ı z`ıxiangm aod Beih ıng yˇe ` ˇ ´ ` sha¯ ne? Zaishu ` sh`ı baogu` ı de, p´ıng shenme bei o¯ le, ´ yˇıj¯ıng k`ongzh`ı he´ jiansh ˇ ˇ sˇıx´ıng ¯ Zhonggu o´ zhe` jˇı nian ao ˇ e´ le sˇıx´ıng de zh´ıx´ıng. Zhexi ` e¯ hai ´ b`ugou ` zunle, yˇe gaig ¯ ` ¯ zhong shengm` ıng? You are contradicting yourself. The life of the victim is also precious, and he or she was killed for what? Besides, in the past few years China has already controlled and reduced the use of the death penalty, and has also reformed the implementation of the death penalty. Isn’t this showing enough respect for life?
B:
我们应该彻底废除死刑，这样也能让社会大众 体会到关爱生命的原则。 ` ı f`eichu´ sˇıx´ıng, zhey` ` ang yˇe neng ´ ¯ chedˇ Wˇomen y¯ınggai ` ` ı dazh ` ong ` ` guan’ ` shengm` ¯ ai ¯ rang shehu` tˇıhu`ı dao ıng de ´ e. yuanz´ We should completely abolish the death penalty, in this way allowing society as a whole to appreciate the principles of concern and the value for life.
A:
你少在这儿胡说八道。等哪天杀人放火的事发 生在自己身上，你就知道死刑的必要了。
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2007 Praxis Language Ltd.
ˇ zai ` zher ` hushu ` ˇ ´ ¯ ad ¯ ao. ¯ shar ¯ en Nˇı shao ob Deng naˇ tian ´ ` z`ıjˇı shensh ` ` ¯ ¯ f`anghuoˇ de sh`ı f¯asheng zai ang, nˇı jiu` zh¯ıdao sˇıx´ıng de b`ıy`ao le. You should talk a little less if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Wait until the day comes when murder or arson affects you personally, then you will realize the necessity of capital punishment.
Key Vocabulary
抢劫
ˇ qiangji e´
to rob
残酷
´ u` cank
cruel
废除
f`eichu´
to abolish
荒唐
¯ huangtang
absurd
无法无天
¯ wufˇ ´ awuti ´ an
lawless
迫不得已
` udeyˇ ´ ı pob`
to have no choice
无辜
wug ´ u¯
innocent
惩罚
´ a chengf´
punishment
自相矛盾
´ un ¯ z`ıxiangm aod `
to contradict oneself
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
5
c
2007 Praxis Language Ltd.
胡说八道
` ¯ ad ¯ ao hushu ob ´
to talk nonsense
Supplementary Vocabulary
剥夺
¯ o´ bodu
to deprive
监禁
¯ ın jianj`
to take into custody; to jail
坐牢
` ao ´ zuol
imprisoned
释放
sh`ıf`ang
to release
冤枉
¯ yuanwang
to wrong someone
减刑
ˇ ıng jianx´
to reduce a sentence
死缓
ˇ sˇıhuan
stay of execution
无期徒刑
wuq¯ ´ ıtux´ ´ ıng
life imprisonment
有期徒刑
yˇouq¯ıtux´ ´ ıng
fixed term of imprisonment
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version).
6
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2007 Praxis Language Ltd.
